International
Looper grosses $ 36 million in opening weekend
MUMBAI: On its foreign debut, the sci-fi film Looper did impressive business with a gross of $36 million over the weekend with most of the intake coming from China. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis, Looper is a Chinese co-production between Jim Stern‘s Endgame Entertainment and China‘s DMG.
The film opened at No. 1 in China with an estimated $24 million, a lot, lot more than its US intake of $21.2 million.
Worldwide, Looper took in $57.2 million, the best number of the weekend. Sony‘s Hotel Transylvania debuted to $43 million domestically and $8.1 million internationally from 13 markets for a global total of $51.1 million.
The film also opened in Russia ($4.5 million), the U.K. ($3.6 million) and Australia ($2.9 million). Glen Basner‘s Film Nation Entertainment handled the film internationally, while Sony‘s TriStar is releasing it domestically in tandem with Film District and Endgame.
Placing No. 2 at the international box office over the weekend was Resident Evil: Retribution that grossed $20.7 million from 6,460 venues in 65 markets. This brings the total overseas gross for the fifth title in director-producer Paul S.W. Anderson‘s action/sci-fi series.
A No. 3 U.K. opening at 355 locations delivered $1.25 million while a No. 2 Italy debut came up with $1.4 million at 290 spots. Retribution opened No.1 in India, and held top rankings in Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Taiwan, Thailand and Venezuela.
The latest Resident Evil is being distributed in most foreign markets by Sony, which has tallied a cumulative of $127.1 million. Another distributor, the film‘s German co-producer Constantin, has raked in 9.9 million in all thus far.
International
Russia-India cinematic spectacle Persimmon of My Love set for grand Moscow debut
Hindi cinema style musical revives Indo-Soviet cinema ties for today
MUMBAI: A new chapter in cross-border storytelling is set to unfold as Persimmon of My Love gears up for its premiere in Moscow on 1 April 2026, marking the first large-scale cinematic collaboration between Russia and India in decades.
Positioned as a modern nod to the cultural exchange that once brought Indian classics to Soviet audiences, the film blends Hindi cinema flair with Russian storytelling, aiming to rekindle a long-standing cinematic friendship.
Directed by Marius Weisberg, the musical comedy follows two brothers navigating a lively world of music, family and romance. The lead roles are played by Demis Karibidis and Mikhail Galustyan, with Karibidis also contributing as a screenwriter.
Shot entirely in India, the production leans heavily into Hindi cinema style spectacle. Filming took place across Mumbai studios and the cities of Udaipur and Jodhpur, whose architecture was used to create the fictional setting of Khurmada. A crew of over 350 worked on the project, with large-scale sequences featuring up to 1,000 extras.
The film also brings Indian creative talent into the mix. Dance sequences are choreographed by Jay Kumar, while music by Zurab Matua features songs in both Hindi and Russian, adding to its cross-cultural appeal.
Backed by TNT channel, MyWayStudio and the Russian Cinema Fund, the project reflects a broader push to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries.
With its mix of colour, comedy and cross-border collaboration, Persimmon of My Love is not just a film release but a reminder that cinema, much like music, travels well across borders.
